By-Akanksha Raj
As the film Badshaah and its legendary record celebrate their 25th anniversary, music composer Anu Malik takes a look back at HT City’s silver jubilee year.
Twenty-five years after its premiere, Abbas-Mustan’s action comedy Baadshah, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Twinkle Khanna, continues to attract a cult following. A large part of this appeal is due to the music, particularly the theme song, which was composed by Anu Malik. “The title track, Baadshah O Baadshah, has an excellent recall value for me. In the actual world, I had sang this song to Shah Rukh on the plane with different lyrics. He fell in love with the song, and we thought of the phrase Baadshah. When Abbas-Mustan heard the idea, they felt it fit with the title tune. SRK gained the nicknames King Khan and Baadshah following this song,” says Malik, who had previously scored for an SRK film in 1994.
The 63-year-old also appreciates the filmmakers’ “interesting and unique” narratives for the film’s success. “They add a lot of energy and suspense to their moves. Everything in Baadshah fell into place perfectly, including the outstanding cast. It was a collaborative effort that paid off, and the picture deserves to be relevant 25 years later.
Malik is “proud” of the work he has achieved in the years after the film. “It’s an important milestone; it’s been 25 years. It is an achievement for an artist to realize that their work has been achieved for so many years. It makes me glad that I’ve created music that still makes people happy 25 years later,” he says.
Congratulating HT City on completing the 25 year milestone, he says, “I would like to congratulate HT City for a successful 25 years, you did a commendable job. Many more successful years to follow and I hope I am around and can celebrate with you even on your 50 year anniversary.”